Brandon Maggart (Roscoe Maggart, but more commonly called “Buddy” at UT) received the BS in journalism in fall 1956. He began his acting career in school plays in his hometown of Carthage, Tennessee. He won an operatic scholarship to UT. After graduation he performed in New York for 25 years, mainly on stage, with some television and film work. He received a Tony nomination for his featured role in Applause. He was in the original cast of Sesame Street and wrote and performed sketches for Upstairs at the Downstairs. In 1983 he was cast in the TV series Jennifer Slept Here, followed by Brothers. In 1985 he moved to Venice, California, purchasing his home from Randy Gardner, skating partner of Tai Babilonia.
He has become a highly successful character actor, appearing on TV shows such as ER, Murphy Brown, Chicago Hope, LA Law, Murder She Wrote, Newhart, Married . . .with Children, and Ellen. He has appeared in more than 20 films, the first being The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart in 1970. Some of the other films include Dressed to Kill, You Better Watch Out, The World According to Garp, Bachelor Man, Living in Fear, The Outlaws: Legend of O. B. Taggart, and Intrepid. He is an artist, but he neither sells nor shows his paintings.
He has six children (a seventh, Justine, was killed in a car crash): Spencer (aka Brandon Jr.) is principally interested in writing screenplays. Garrett is a leading character in The Sentinel, who hosted Live from the House of Blues on TBS, among other roles and appearances, and who stood in eighth place in the 1997 People magazine online poll for the Most Intriguing People of 1997. Maude is a cabaret-style singer. Fiona Apple is a singer whose first album, Tidal, went triple platinum, and who was named Best New Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1997. Julienne and Jennifer are not in show business.